November 7, 2016

Tell us: As America votes, how will the U.S. election impact your country?

The following post appeared in The Washington Post's Global Opinions section on November 7, 2016.

Coming from a similarly raucous democracy, Indians follow
U.S. elections with a great deal of interest. Both Donald Trump and Hillary
Clinton have inspired a mixture of curiosity, ridicule, admiration and concern
among India’s chattering classes, although surveys indicate that the broader
Indian public does not hold particularly strong opinions about either
candidate. Trump has offered mixed messages about high-skilled immigration to
the United States, of which Indians are among the primary beneficiaries, and
about India more generally.

By contrast, Clinton has a long history of engagement
with India, including as first lady, as senator (when she was co-chair of the
Senate India Caucus) and as secretary of state. As such, she is a known
quantity in New Delhi. The stability of a Clinton presidency, a very good
understanding of her positions and key advisers, and the implications her
election would have for the United States more broadly make her a preferable
candidate from India’s point of view.